Re: Parrot worked to death?

"Steve" <sstevelp@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message 
news:1190040814.400473.178230@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
| On Sep 15, 10:56 pm, "M.J." <M...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
| > <j...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
| >
| > news:agkne3turom9io0714e7d97ge5e401heru@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
| >
| > Blah, blah, blah.
| >
| > I 've cut out the nonsense from your post, but will reply to your 
questions
| > about preconceived ideas and personal views.  Sure I express my
personal
| > views but these have extensive backing in real empirical data i.e.
| > experiences
| > I have gathered over a perion of nearly 10 years of being an TAG
owner.
| >
| > My 10 year old TAG (Timneh African Grey) Mbeki whom I have raised
| > and handfed since 6 weeks old is a cute playful and intelligent little
| > fellow.
| > Compared to Alex Mbeki is probalby a great moron as his vocabulary is
| > only around 6-7 words.  I have subjected Mbeki to learning lessons
many
| > times and have always noticed that the bird tires immensely after
about
| > 15-20 minutes of mental exercersise -becomes cranky, and wants to
leave,
| > go back to the  cage, playtop, or whatever.
| >
| > Sure, slowly and over time he could be made to endure longer and
longer
| > sessions until he probably would be able to withstand a gruelling 8-12

hour
| > working/learning day, but I know this would not be without a risk of
| > negative
| > long term consequenses.
| >
| > Mbeki is my pet, and not some ALEX (Avian Learning EXperiment)
| > therefore I don't "torment" him past the 10-15 minute that he
playfully
| > offers me.
| >
| > M.J.
| >
|
| You are clearly ignorant of the methods that Dr Pepperberg used with
| Alex as well as the life and relation****ps he had
| with the other lab helpers and fellow parrots.
| Alex's sessions were typically half hour or less. He was quite capable
| of ending sessions when he had had enough.
| Where on earth do you get the idea that Alex had an 8 or 12 hour
| working day?
| It would be safe to say that no pet parrot had a better life than Alex
| including yours.
| Now as you still have 20 years or so to go before Mbeki reaches Alex's
| age perhaps you can do us all a favor
| and repost in 20 years to let us know that he is still alive.
| (Of course I hope he is)

Plus aren't we all forgetting that there is a possibility the bird was an 
idiot savant of the parrot world and therefore whatever work he had may
have 
PROLONGED his life?  Since folks are throwing around evidence-free 
assertions, I just thought I'd toss one in.  ; )

sharon

-- 
"Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you"

-- C. Martin